By Prior Beharry
DURING the first five month of 2021, more than 200,000 people were transported on the sea bridge between Trinidad and Tobago. That is an average of 40,000 people per month.
This according to the T&T Inter-Island Transportation Company Limited (TTIT) in its newsletter Ferry Focus Issue 17.
It stated that between January 1 to May 31, 2021, there were 200,320 passengers and 81,559 vehicles transported to and from Tobago.
The newsletter also made mention to the newest inter-island passenger ferry, the Buccoo Reef, scheduled to commence commercial sailings on the sea-bridge on Friday (June 4).
The Buccoo Reef will replace the T&T Spirit which is scheduled to proceed on statutory dry-docking at Caribbean Dockyard, Chaguaramas, on Saturday (June 5).
The Buccoo Reef can accommodate 1,000 passengers (including crew) and 182 cars @ 4.5m length x 2.3m.
However, as a result of Government’s regulations, effective April, 30, 2021, the passenger capacity on all inter-island ferries was reduced to 25%, the newsletter stated.
It stated that travellers are guaranteed a comfortable three-hour ride to and from Tobago on board the Buccoo Reef .
Utilization of the Inter-Island Ferries from January 01 – May 31, 2021:
| Months (2021) | Trips | Passengers | Vehicles | TEUs
(20 feet containers via cargo vessel) |
| January | 148 | 42,766 | 15,825 | 362 |
| February | 150 | 40,366 | 16,613 | 548 |
| March | 164 | 53,449 | 20,927 | 669 |
| April | 166 | 50,826 | 19,607 | 597 |
| May | 152 | 14,913 | 8,687 | 232 |
| Total | 780 | 202,320 | 81,659 | 2,408 |
